


The Sulky Sailor

by JaneyKatherineHummingbird



Series: Star Trek Reader Inserts [41]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Jim And Bones Are in the Navy, Modern AU, Reader Insert, Weddings, background kircus, graphic depictions of wedding fluff and dudes in uniform, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 13:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13365405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneyKatherineHummingbird/pseuds/JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: Reader, who runs a bridalwear shop, meets a self-proclaimed wedding-hater named Leonard McCoy.





	The Sulky Sailor

“There! You’re all ready to go rock that aisle and be the radiant bride that I knew you’d be!”

Having finished lacing up the back of the beautiful strapless wedding dress, you carefully circled the bride one last time to make sure every last inch was properly fitting. Carol Marcus looked absolutely stunning and you were quite relieved to see the alterations were completely successful and it fit just fine. Normally, you weren’t actually at a clients wedding, but Carol had specially asked you to be there to help get her into the dress, not wanting to risk damage to the delicate lace up fastening, which could be tricky for the inexperienced. 

“Thank you so much, Y/N,” Carol said earnestly. “It’s a dream come true. I thought about this day this since I was a little girl and you’ve helped make me into a fairy tale princess.”

“That’s my goal!” You said cheerily. As the manager of Bea’s Bridal, you loved matching brides with that perfect gown and seeing the happy glow on their faces as they admired their reflection in the mirror. Carol was by far the most high profile client you’d ever had, being a renowned biologist as well as the daughter of an admiral. 

You’d been stunned that she’d chosen your little shop to shop from, but Carol had confided she preferred the more personable and cozy atmosphere of Bea’s to the bigger upscale boutiques. 

“You really have a wonderful selection given the size of the place,” she’d said. “I think I’ll find the perfect gown here.”

So, here you were, sitting in the back pew, tissue in hand to wipe away the tears as Carol made her triumphant entrance on the arm of Admiral Marcus. Peeking a look at the groom, you were pleased to see Captain Kirk’s famous blue eyes widen and visibly light up with joy at the sight of his bride. That was another reason you loved your job so much: hearing the stories of the groom’s reaction. You rarely got to see it in person like this and it was truly heartwarming. 

The bridal party was rather large, consisting of seven bridesmaids and seven groomsman, all but one of whom were wearing dress uniforms like the groom. By process of elimination and scanning the program, you guessed the non-naval member was the Best Man, George Samuel Kirk, who was the groom’s brother. They were a fine looking group: the ladies clad in long seafoam green dresses and the gentleman looking sharp in their white uniforms. Was that another admiral among the groomsmen? A bit of squinting and program consulting confirmed it was: one Admiral Christopher Pike. Wow! Talk about friends in high places!

While James and Carol listened to the officiant’s exhortations, you found your eyes landing on the second groomsman from the center, a tall, square jawed man, who was stunningly handsome and broad shouldered, but wearing a very longsuffering expression, which darkened to a scowl occasionally. 

What is his problem? You wondered. Way to wreck the aesthetic, dude! Such a shame. You’re hot, too.

You pondered over the grouchy hottie’s possible reasons for being a party pooper until the swish of satin skirts indicated that Carol was turning to face Jim for the vows. The light sparkled off the medals on his chest and the crystals on her gown and your hopeless romantic heart was in pure bliss as you watched them pledge their love to each other. A more stunning pair you didn’t think you’d ever see.

After the ceremony, you stuck around in order to congratulate the happy couple. Carol introduced you to Jim, who was very charming and friendly, and obviously smitten like crazy with her. 

You were a little leery of the reception, given that you didn’t really know anyone, but decided a couple hours couldn’t hurt. After all, you didn’t have anywhere else to be. You did see some former clients among the guests and milled around chatting with them. The room was swarming with uniformed people and gloriously gowned ladies. It was a feast for the eyes, if nothing else. 

You watched the bridal party introductions and noticed that every pair did something cute—except for the brown haired sulky man. He walked straight ahead with a determined expression while the woman on his arm smiled and waved to the crowd. He must be a total introvert, you decided. Probably hated big crowds. 

In the excitement of the ceremonies and watching Kirk and Carol cut the glorious wedding cake, you didn’t notice someone coming up beside you until they spoke.

“So much fuss and bother. It’s ridiculous. By the time they finish paying it off, they’ll be celebrating their 20th anniversary, if they’re even still together.”

Shocked by this pessimistic statement, you turned and saw the Grumpy groomsman standing beside you, looking just as handsome and just as disgruntled as he had from afar. Your mouth went dry and you struggled to get words to come out. That frame….in that uniform….words weren’t enough to describe the splendor of it. 

“Um, well, they’re both pretty important people, so a big wedding was kind of expected,” you ventured. 

“Yeah. Jim likes to do things big, the egoist. It’s all a big racket. Who even has time to enjoy their special day with all the pomp and people to please?” 

“I’d say the Captain and Mrs. Kirk are very much able to enjoy it,” you countered, smiling at the sight of the newlyweds feeding each other bites of cake. 

“They’ll be totally exhausted after all this hullabaloo. I say, if you’re gonna jump into matrimony, just elope. Just think, you could buy a decent used car for the price of that fancy dress. It’s a big racket for people to make money off of.”

Now you were getting annoyed. He’d moved from sympathetic to downright jerk in the space of two minutes.

You put your hands on your hips and stared at him. He had murky hazel eyes and a mouth that was currently twisted in annoyance. 

“No offense, Sailor, but you seem determined to spread your misery to everyone else! If you hate it that much why did you agree to be in the wedding?” 

“I can never say no to Jim,” he sighed ruefully. “And the name’s Leonard McCoy, ma’am.” 

“And I’m Y/N,” you told him. “You must be really close to Captain Kirk to put up with going through something you obviously dislike so much.”

He nodded.

“He’s my best friend. Couldn’t miss it, but That won’t stop me from ditching this place as soon as they’ve left.”

You heaved an exasperated sigh. 

“Well, Leonard McCoy, since I don’t know hardly anyone here, I see it falls upon me to help you suffer through it. How can I help you lighten up a little so you don’t end up distressing the happy couple?” 

He looked at you searchingly for a few minutes. 

“Stick around and have a dance with me?” He suggested, a gleam appearing in his hazel eyes. 

“Maybe,” you said coyly. “But you’re going to have to make it up to me for calling my passion a “racket.” I happen to run the shop where Carol and her bridesmaids bought their dresses. I assure you, she could not have bought a car with what she paid for that dress.”

Leonard flushed, realizing how his grumbling had sounded. 

“Whoops. I made an ass out of myself again,” he said sheepishly. “When I get on a roll, my big mouth gets away from me. I may dislike weddings and romance, but that was wrong of me to talk bad about the whole industry. Forgive me?”

Your annoyance melted away at his genuine apology. The man may be cynical, but he did seem to recognize when he’d gone too far. 

“Of course, but I’m curious, where did you get such a negative opinion on weddings?”

He looked off in the distance for a second.

“Let’s just say, personal experience. Mine was huge and elaborate and the marriage crashed and burned inside five years. My ex was what they call a bridezilla and it should have been a huge red flag, seeing her treat her friends and coordinators so horribly, But no, I went through with it and lived to regret it.” 

He took a sip of champagne as if to wash the bitter taste of the memory from his mouth. 

“Oh, man. I’m sorry to hear that,” you sympathized. “I’ve dealt with difficult brides in the past, but that sounds really unpleasant. Much as I enjoy big weddings, they’re only supposed to be a celebration of the marriage, not put a strain on it.” 

“Well, there was lots of stuff that ruined my marriage. I was so young and naive back then,” Leonard sighed. “She took everything I had in the divorce. Ended up joining the navy to get away from her reach.” 

You winced. He really HAD had a bad time of it. 

“So, what’s your specialty, Leonard?” You asked him. 

“I’m a surgeon on the USS Enterprise,” he responded. Your eyes widened. 

“Oh, wow. That’s Kirk’s ship isn’t it?”

“Yup. For better or worse.” 

He proceeded to tell you all about shipboard life, his struggles with an irritatingly bold captain and extremely logical first officer, seasickness, and the first hand account of their defeat of the Narada. You were spellbound and when the dance floor was opened up to everybody, willingly took him up on his offer in order to keep up the conversation. 

Leonard was a very good and quite funny narrator and the charming accent didn’t hurt. He danced like a dream as well and you were living in happy fantasyland while his strong arms were around you, steering you around the floor. Up close, his eyes were even more stunning and bored into yours intently, taking your breath away. 

“So Tell me, Y/N, what got you into the business?” He asked. 

“My great aunt Bea started the store forty years ago and when she saw I was also interested in bridal fashion, she took me under her wing, taught me a lot, and after I finished school, I started working there for her full time. She retired three years ago, and now I run the place. It’s so satisfying to see the look on a bride to be’s face when she finds The Dress. I live for those moments.” 

His face softened. 

“You’re doing what you love. I can respect that. You’ve certainly turned Carol into a downright belle.” You glanced over at the bride, who was currently held closely in her groom’s arms as they swayed together.

“That’s mostly happiness and her natural beauty, I think. But she did pick an extremely flattering style. I hope their happiness lasts for a lifetime.” 

“Me too,” Leonard admitted. “Goodness knows they deserve it.” 

The song ended and you looked up at the clock, shocked by how late it was.

“Uh-oh. Cinderella is about to turn into a pumpkin,” You said. “I should leave while I can still safely drive.”

“Not a night owl, are ya?” He teased.

“Nope. I can’t Last later than eleven unfortunately. Just the way I am. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you Leonard McCoy. You are really something else.” 

You eyed him appreciatively and he smirked at you, a stunning amount of dimples appearing when he smiled. Your heart noticeably flip-flopped at the sight and you hated that you’d probably never see him again.

“Well thanks,” he said flirtatiously. “I must say, though, you’re pretty darn gorgeous yourself. Thanks for pulling me out of my sulk.” 

“No problem. I didn’t want you to be sticking out like a sore thumb in their wedding photos.”

With a wink, you headed off to gather your things and say your goodbyes to Carol. 

After Congratulations on your part and effusive thanks and a hug on hers, you waded through the sea of richly dressed people to sign the model of the Enterprise that stood there. 

After you’d scrawled your name on the bow, you heard Leonard’s voice again. 

“Hey, Y/N, Sorry If I’m being presumptive here, but I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing you again.” He handed you a napkin upon which a phone number was written. 

“You can pitch it if you want, but if you’d ever like to hang out sometime, I’ll be around for the next four months or so.” 

He looked super nervous and unsure, which you thought was cute. Pulling a business card out of your purse, you scrawled your cell number on the back and handed it to him.

“I think I’d like that,” you smiled. “See you around, Leonard McCoy.” 

Leonard stared after you, a gobsmacked expression on his face. He was venturing into long uncharted territory, but it was a risk he felt was worth taking. Jim would be proud.


End file.
